Saturday, October 06, 2007

Firm to set up P348-M sanitary landfill in Navotas

By BERNIE CAHILES–MAGKILAT - Manila Bulletin

A new sanitary landfill will rise in an 11.3-hectare site in Tanza, Navotas designed to accommodate a 15-year garbage disposal option for the broader Metro Manila region, which current nearby dumpsite is facing closure.

With a cost of P348.575 million, the New Navotas Sanitary Landfill (NSLF) of the Philippine Ecology Systems Corp. (Phileco) is designed to accept 950 metric tons of waste daily.

The project will create 70 employment opportunities once it starts commercial operations in January 2008.

Phileco acquired the NSLF property in anticipation of the eventual closure of its existing Navotas Controlled Disposal Facility, which is just two kilometers away from the proposed new sanitary landfill.

Phileco has been operating the NCDF since September 2000 to serve the Municipal Solid waste disposal needs of the municipality and portion of the solid waste disposal of the city of Manila.

Phileco, however, is implementing the closure plan of the current garbage disposal facility as approved by the National Solid Waste Management Commission of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The project disposal facility is basically composed of the following three components: a disposal site, landing craft transport and marine loading transfer station.

The disposal site includes the treatment facilities for leachate and methane gas while the landing craft transport shall be utilized for the transfer of waste to the new disposal site wherein two tugboats will be used for towing the barges carrying the garbage to the disposal site.

The collected garbage will then be delivered to the marine loading transfer station which will be composed of a landing wharf, access road, loading equipment, deodorizing stations field office as well as other equipment necessary for its operation, a materials recovery facility and possible composting facility.

The NSLF is accessible only by watercraft from either the ports of Manila Bay or through the fishpond channels from Obando Public market. It can also be accesed through the Pinagkabalian bridge in barangay Dampalit, Malabon.

Initially, the dumpite will service the solid waste disposal needs of the municipality of Navotas, city of Manila and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s pumping station debris.

The landfill can also service the solid waste disposal of the whole Metro Manila, but subject to the acceptance and approval of concerned government agencies, primarily the MMDA.

The project is eligible for government incentives since Solid Waste Management or Republic Act 9003 is listed under the Mandatory Inclusions of the Investment Priorities Plan.

Under the law, cities and municipalities are required to come up with their own solid waste management plan. LGUs are also mandated to convert and replace existing dumpsite and develop and operate a controlled disposal facility.